Thank you, Mr. Chair.
That's a huge issue. Housing is an increasing percentage of everyone's expenses monthly. Income hasn't risen by a similar percentage, so people who are struggling now have to struggle with whether they should buy food to feed themselves or try to keep a roof over their head. Very often, the roof over their head wins that debate, because the thought of being homeless is one that is very difficult.
Low-income people especially—people on social assistance, for instance—can't even find a room in a rooming house for 30% of the social assistance rate. It's impossible. There is no availability of any housing that makes any sense for someone unless they can get on the New Brunswick housing list, which will give them subsidized housing. There isn't. You could not find a cubbyhole for 30% of the social assistance rate, so for people who are in the most dire situations for housing, it's a complete scramble to find whatever they can find and to couch surf. We know of people who access our food bank who are living in tents, not because they're not working but because there's just no possibility for them to find housing, so they have a tent in a wooded area and they're saying they don't know when they'll ever be able to find or afford housing.